A Turn of Events
by Writer-N-Disguise
Summary: A story with a larger plot, and a nice Nuke romance tied in. Also some Chris/Alison/Aaron triangle fun. As well as a new face in town! My first fic on this site, so I'd love feedback!
1. Prologue: Harmless Beginnings

"I'll have to be at work right after my film studies class," Noah's voice came from across the table in the kitchen, where he and Luke were working on some last minute notes before their classes started for the day.

Luke glanced up at him, "That's when my fiction writing class is supposed to start," he said, then shrugged a bit, "Well that's my last class for the morning. I just have one this afternoon. I'll come by Java around one."

Nodding a bit, Noah glanced back down at his notebook, "I'm sure Jeff will let me take my lunch break when you get there." His eyes fell to the watch strapped to his wrist and he jumped up, stuffing all of his books into his bag, "Damn, I'm gonna be late for my American Government class," he muttered so quietly that Luke wasn't sure if he was talking to him or just himself.

Luke laughed a bit, shaking his head, "Don't worry so much. Prof. Adams is usually the one that's late."

"Yeah, well today would be the day he's not," Noah replied, though he had to smile just a bit as he threw his bag over his shoulder, "See you later," he said, leaning down to give Luke a quick kiss before leaving. He must've ran to his truck, because Luke heard the engine fire up only seconds after the screen door had slammed shut behind him.

"Was that Noah leaving?" Aaron asked as he opened the door from the stairs. He'd taken the day off from the Lakeview to help Emma with the family dinner for tonight.

Luke looked over at him as he started getting his own books together, "Yeah, he was about to be late for class." Aaron gave him a questioning look that Luke understood immediately, and replied to the unspoken question, "My class doesn't start for about an hour," after putting his bag over his shoulder, he added, "But I think I'm gonna go down to Old Town. Don't really want to be in Grandma's way. She said she'd be cooking all day for the family dinner tonight."

Aaron groaned, shutting the door to the staircase, "Well this should be a fun morning."

Luke only laughed, "You won't have to cook. You know she's so picky about the food, and making sure its perfect. The one thing you can count on at dinner around here."

"Yeah, that and someone throwing cutlery," Aaron added in an undertone.

"Not every time, just four out of five," Luke said with a grin, "Anyways, I'll see you tonight." Aaron simply a nodded a goodbye to him as he headed out the door.

--

A flyaway strand of long blonde hair was brushed behind Rose's ear as she tried to hold the small map out flat in front of her, though the winds didn't offer to help her attempts. Finally, a sign for the small town's hospital stood in front of her, and she chewed her lip, wondering if she really wanted to go in. She inhaled a deep breath and took s step towards the automatic door. Of course she wanted to go in. She had to. She had no one left; no other option. This was her last stop before the orphanage back in California.

The lady at the front desk smiled kindly at her as she walked forward, "May I help you with something?" she asked, her voice dripping in honey that Rose was sure would turn to venom by the day's end. People always seemed so much nicer in the morning, before the insanity of a day's work set in.

"Yes, I was told to find Dr. Hughes," Rose said quietly, reading the name off of a small sheet of paper she'd stuck in the front of a notebook she carried with her.

"There are two Dr. Hughes'," the lady replied, and Rose just stared at her, wondering what to do. She hadn't gotten a first name from the man she'd spoken to. Only that she was to ask for him. The lady apparently realized her uncertainty and continued, "There is Bob Hughes, and his son Chris Hughes. Do you know whom you were to speak with?"

Rose chewed her lip nervously for a moment before replying in a small, slow voice, "I believe it was a younger man I spoke with."

The lady only smiled, "I'll call Dr. Chris Hughes and ask if he was expecting you. What's your name, dear?"

"Rose Genness," she said, slightly distracted as she still tried to recall if she'd been given a first name for the doctor, but neither of the names sounded familiar at all.

"Just a moment," the lady stood and walked to a room just behind the desk. Rose watched her through the window, wondering if coming here was a mistake. Maybe she should've just gone to that orphanage they tried to take her to. It didn't matter if she did find her mother. Police would surround the place, demanding for her. Her mother, whoever she was, hadn't even stayed around to help her father raise Rose after she was born, so why would she want her now? In any case, Rose wasn't even sure how to find her. All she had was the knowledge that she lived in Oakdale, last heard, and a name: Charlene Wilson.

When the lady came back, she gave Rose a room number, and told her it was on the fifth floor, apparently where most of the doctor's offices were. Rose stepped into the elevator and leaned back against one of the enclosing walls, trying to keep herself from hyperventilating. This trip meant nothing anyways, really. All they would do would be take a blood sample from her, confirm that Charlene is her mother, and…well, that was it. They probably couldn't give her any personal information about the woman without her consent. So really, there was no reason to be so nervous about this.

As soon as she'd convinced herself of this, however, the elevator doors opened and she had to take another deep breath to keep from shaking as she walked down the hall. It seemed to go on forever, but she finally reached the door marked '509 - Dr. Chris Hughes.' She had just raised her arm to knock on the door when a voice from inside bid her to come in.

"Saw you through the window," the man said, nodding towards the windows beside the door, the blinds only open enough that he could see out into the hall. He stood and held a hand out to her, which she immediately shook politely, and then took the seat across from the one he resumed, "Now, we are going to take a blood sample, correct?" he asked, glancing over the papers spilling from the folder in front of him.

"Yes," Rose replied quietly, just watching his eyes run from one paper to the next in the stack. Admittedly, she wasn't sure how confident she was in this doctor. He looked young enough that he must've just graduated medical school recently. Maybe three years ago at the most. But then, she was only getting blood taken, which a nurse would probably do anyways.

"I don't see why you need a blood test, honestly," he said, his eyebrows coming together as he looked up at her, "You have the name of your mother, and her name is on your birth certificate, correct?"

"Yes, it's Charlene Wilson," she thought she saw a slight change in his persona, but ignored it, "Its only to make sure," Rose explained quickly, "And besides, my mother may not believe I'm her daughter without proof. A DNA test here will be enough proof for her I hope," she smiled, trying a force a lighter mood in the room, but it didn't work as well as she'd hoped.Chris rubbed his eyes, looking as if he was trying to find the words to explain something he really didn't want to. Rose bit her lip nervously, sure that there had been something she hadn't known when she'd ran from her hometown only a few days ago.

"The thing is, Rose," Chris said slowly, staring at his hands on the desk instead of looking at her, "I don't know how to say this. Charlene did live here. But last September, she, was," his voice trailed off for a moment, and Rose was sure he was new at this. Most doctors she'd known trained themselves to be comforting, but never emotional about their hospital cases. Unless Chris knew Charlene, that is, and as Rose thought about, in this small town, it wasn't unlikely. "She was murdered by her ex-husband," he finished quietly, finally looking up to meet her eye. She could tell he was trying to look professional, like he wasn't getting too involved or emotional in front of a client, but she could hardly care at that moment if he broke down crying in front of her.

She was dead. Charlene Wilson was dead. Why hadn't this been mentioned before? She noted in her mind that she had failed to mention the name of the woman until now. But still. She had traveled from California. She'd gone through at least fifty security measures that the police wouldn't be able to find her and force her to the orphanage; at least not until she found her mother. Once she found Charlene, they couldn't force her back to the orphanage. But what now? This woman that was supposed to be the answer to her prayers, was dead.

"But you aren't without any living family," Chris's voice jerked her back to the present and she caught his eye, "Charlene had a son. You may still want to have the blood test done if you want to find him. You'll only be half-blood siblings, and I think the kind of proof you spoke of would be helpful."

"Does he live here in Oakdale?" Rose's voice sounded hollow and dead; she felt as if she could faint at any moment. 'At least I'm in a hospital' she thought humorlessly. She saw the doctor nod, and she asked in the same hollow voice, "What's his name?"

"Noah Mayer."

--

It was only a few minutes after his brother left, when Aaron heard another car pull into the driveway. The familiar sounding engine cut off and he smiled, grateful that, though this day wouldn't be too much fun, his fiancé had decided to drop by on her way to the hospital.

He heard her knock on the screen door, but decided to just join her outside on the porch, "On your way to the hospital?" he asked, hugging her and giving her a soft kiss. He smiled, her bright eyes seeming to make the unpleasant prospect of the morning nonexistent. Her red hair pulled into a ponytail fell to one side as she shrugged.

"Yeah, I just wanted to make sure the dinner is still on for tonight," Alison said with a smile.

"Well why wouldn't it be?" Aaron asked with a slight laugh, "Besides, you could have called for that."

"I like stopping by to see you," she said, smiling and looking at him as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. She leaned up a bit to kiss him again and pulled away, "But I really should go. I'm supposed to be at the hospital in fifteen minutes."

Aaron put on a mock frown, reluctantly letting her go, but then smiled, "Six o'clock, don't be late. Or all my cooking will be for nothing," he added with a laugh.

"I won't be, though I might eat before I come," she said jokingly as she pushed open the screen door, and walked back out to her car.

"Love you!" Aaron calledto her as she was almost to her car. He heard her call the same back to him as he walked inside and shut the door behind him. Emma came down just then, looking far more eager about the idea of cooking the family dinner all day than he was.


	2. Chapter One: A Chance Meeting

Rose pressed the bandage harder against her arm for a moment to make sure the bleeding had stopped before stripping it away and tossing it into the nearest trash can. She wasn't much farther than where she'd started, really. She still only had the knowledge that her only living relative lived here in Oakdale, and a name: Noah Mayer. The odds of finding him in this town, well, she didn't want to bet against the odds in such a small town. Odd were she'd run into him sooner or later. She just sort of hoped it was sooner; before the police found out where she'd run off to. But they were probably still searching the California area. They wouldn't come this far to try and find her.

Besides, She'd taken enough security measures to keep her safe at least until she found this Noah person. She hadn't brought her car; she only bought a plane ticket and withdrew the rest of her money in cash. Harder to track than credit cards at least. Once she got here, she'd been planning to buy a bike, but the town was small enough that everywhere she needed to go would only be a couple miles apart at the most, so walking was easier and much cheaper. She'd even gotten bleach blonde highlights in her hair. It only looked slightly different from the darker blonde she'd had before, but it at least made a slight difference.

Rose pulled out the map again, and found the building she'd marked on there with a red dot. The local high school she'd enrolled in online just before she left. That would probably be the only way for the police to find her at that point, but she refused to give up her education just because the police might take her back to the orphanage for it. Besides, all she had to do was find her brother. According to the doctor, he was over eighteen, and could legally sign as her guardian so she could stay in Oakdale. Unfortunately, that had been the only information the doctor would give her.

She held the map flat against her notebook, trying to see which block she was supposed to turn at. But apparently she missed it. Again. And again. She wandered around, turning the map one way then the other, until she glared at the piece of paper in frustration. This town was miniscule compared to where she lived in Sacramento! How many times could she possibly wander in circles before she found the high school?

She was already half and hour late for her first class, and she was almost giving up on it. She sat down on a bench and angrily took out a pen, marking on the map in large letters, 'How the hell do I get here?!' Arrows pointed from every direction at the small red dot that marked her destination, but it didn't help her at all. What she needed was arrows on the roads pointing her to the actual place instead of a spot on a map.

Sighing, Rose brushed a piece of hair behind her ear and stood, ready to attempt the never ending search again. She backtracked her steps for a minute, then looked back down at the map, though she'd given up on its actual assistance a while ago. Then, she wasn't walking as much as falling. The map and notebook fell out of her hands, scattered among a few other books she didn't recognize.

"Damnit. Hey, I'll call you back," a man's hurried voice spoke over her. She reached for her notebook which was closest, as she heard a phone snap shut, and the man was bent down to pick up his own books, "Sorry. I wasn't paying attention. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, and it was my fault. Shouldn't be trying to read a map and walk at the same time," Rose said with a slight smile, glancing up at him. The blonde smiled sheepishly at her. He turned back to gathering his books, and Rose noticed that he'd picked up her map and was looking at it with a very amused expression on his face. That was when she remembered that she'd written all over it in her frustration, and she blushed slightly, reaching to take the paper from him.

"Lost?" he asked with a smile, standing up and holding out his free hand to Rose. She took it gratefully and stood up, nodding a bit. He looked back at the map and continued, "That's my old high school. Its only a block from here. I'll walk you over there."

"Thanks," Rose said, blushing slightly again as she took the map from him, then shook the hand that he held out to her.

"Luke Snyder, by the way," he said politely.

"Rose Genness."

Luke nodded to the left and turned to walk down the street, Rose following suit beside him, "You new to town then?" he asked. As if it wasn't obvious. Anyone who'd been in this town more than two days could probably navigate the streets easily.

"Yeah," Rose replied, "Just moved here from California."

Luke whistled, "You moved from California to come here? Don't know why you'd come to a little town like this after living there," he was silent for a second, then added, "You must have come to stay with family?"

Rose bit her lip, and replied after a moment, "Something like that."

Thankfully, Luke took this as a cue to not ask anymore about the topic. Not that it was difficult or painful to talk about, just sort of, odd. And too long of a story to explain in the three minute commute to the high school. Luke's voice jerked Rose out of the reverie she hadn't realized she'd been in, "Here it is." he pointed towards the closest set of double-doors, "The main office is right through there. First door on the right. I'd walk you in, but I really need to go or I'll be late for my class."

"Thanks so much for your help," Rose said with a smile, "And it was great to meet you," she added as an afterthought. Her father had always raised her to say that at the end of any conversation with a person she'd just met, even if it wasn't so great. But meeting Luke was great. And a blessing in disguise. She'd probably still be wandering in circles if he hadn't run into her.

Luke just smiled and said, "We'll probably run into each other again. Good luck on your first day!" And with that, he turned and left. Rose turned back to the building, taking a deep breath before she walked forward. How she'd be able to concentrate on school work right now was beyond her comprehension. Too much was running through her mind, but she had to at least try.


	3. Chapter Two: An Awkward Reunion

Disclaimer: Guess I should've put this in earlier, but you can guess as much: I own…..nothing. Despite my attempts to steal ATWT, (as well as Jake and Van) I have come up short. So, I own nothing, except Rose….Until further notice.

A/N: I'm currently looking for a beta reader, so until I find one, you will have to suffer through the agonizing bits of misspelled words and incorrect grammar. I'll fix it as soon as possible. Also, if anyone has any information on how the whole how-Rose-can-stay-with-Noah-and-not-go-back-to-the-orphanage thing, please let me know! I know it's possible, of course, (without marriage.) I just don't know all the steps to go through so that Noah can sign as her legal guardian. If no one can help me, then I'll just wing it, and that part will be incredibly vague. Anyways, enough of my rambling, here's the next chapter:

--

Rose hardly paid attention during her classes. She just took the books the teachers handed her, wrote down what was on the board or overhead projector, then zoned out. Her eyes kept falling to a small slip of paper sticking out of her notebook where she'd scratched out the name 'Noah Mayer.' She considered asking someone if they knew him; the town was small enough that someone in this school had to. But she didn't want to just start asking people about this stranger on her first day.

No one bothered to talk to her or introduce themselves to her, but she didn't mind so much. If she met just one new person every day for a solid week, she'd be happy. And as far as she was concerned, she'd already met her new acquaintance for the day. _I wonder if Luke knows this Noah guy._ Her thoughts were interrupted by the bell, signaling the end of her 4th period class. Looking to see the lock read 12:55, she decided that she officially hated getting the second lunch time.

She had been told earlier that students were allowed to leave campus for lunch, but she wasn't sure where to go. She wasn't event hat hungry really, and she didn't have the car her father had given her on her 16th birthday a few months ago. Shoving her books into the bottom locker she'd been assigned, she pulled her purse strap farther up her shoulder and started towards the main entrance of the school where students were already filing out.

A smile crossed Rose's face as the warm breeze blew across her skin. Her eyes adjusted to the brighter light, and her eyes immediately fell to a small coffee place across the street, the sign outside reading 'Java.' She smiled to herself, deciding that there was no danger of her getting lost crossing the street, and proceeded over the asphalt parking lot.

Finally she pushed the door to the small place open, and a man behind the counter welcomed her. He looked young, and she decided he must be a college student. She glanced at his nametag that read 'Jeff.' "Can I help you?" he asked the worn-out line that was heard in coffee shops and everywhere else a million times a day.

"A mocha latte, please," Rose said quietly, her eyes falling to her purse as she dug for her pocketbook. He brought the drink over a few minutes later and she handed him a small roll of bills, telling him to keep the change. He thank her, though Rose wasn't sure that twenty-seven cents was even enough to waste breath on.

--

"What time do you get off?" Luke asked, taking a sip from the cup in front of him as he eyed his boyfriend.

Noah shrugged, "About five, I think. More than enough time to be back for the big family dinner," he added with a smile.

Luke laughed lightly, reaching out to hold Noah's hand in his on top of the table, "Well, I don't know how big it will be, but I'm glad you'll be there. You're practically family anyways."

Noah just smiled a bit, looking down at their hands linked on the table, rubbing his thumb absentmindedly against the back of Luke's hand.

Luke opened his mouth to speak again, but stopped when he heard a slightly familiar voice, apparently addressing him.

"Wow. This is a small town," the voice said in awe. Luke looked over and smiled, slightly surprised to see Rose standing there looking at him.

He laughed a bit, "Yeah, it is actually," he waved the hand that wasn't clutching Noah's, beckoning her over to the table. The blonde girl shook her head slightly, smiling and walking over, looking back at Noah, he explained, "We ran into each other in Old Town."

"He means that literally," Rose offered with a cheerful smile. Noah and Luke both chuckled a appreciatively. Luke shrugged as if to say he had to agree.

Luke saw her eyes fall to the linked hands on the table, but she just smiled up at Noah then looked back at Luke, "Care to introduce me?"

"Right, sorry," he said quickly, "This is Rose, Genness?" he said the last name uncertainly and glanced to Rose to make sure he's pronounced it right. She just nodded slightly, holding a hand out politely and he continued, "Rose, this is my boyfriend," he let his own voice trail off to let Noah introduce himself.

"Noah Mayer," he said, reaching his free hand out to shake Rose's. As soon as Noah said his name, Luke saw Rose freeze, her hand gripping his, but unmoving.

"Um, Rose?" Luke asked, craning his neck around to look her more in the face.

--

Rose just stared at the dark-haired man. Her brother? Could he really be? Was it really so easy to find him that she didn't even have to try? If she was being honest with herself, she hadn't expected to find that her half-brother was gay. It didn't bother her, it just didn't cross her mind, either. So much for wondering if Luke knew him. Hell, he was dating him. Admittedly, Rose had to say she was happy for her brother for that. Luke was kind enough to stop and help a perfect stranger on the street, she couldn't imagine how wonderful he must be to people he knew and cared about.

"Um, Rose?" she heard Luke's voice say somewhere to her right. She blinked hard, snapping back to reality to see both men looking at her strangely.

She dropped Noah's hand, "S-sorry- it's- I just," she stuttered quietly under her breath, "Um, do, do you have a minute?" She noted that he wore the same shirt as the man behind the counter, and guessed that he must be on a break.

"Yeah, sure," Noah said uncertainly, shooting Luke a curious glance. Rose knew he had to be silently asking Luke what kind of strange new friend he'd decided to run into.

"This may sound really crazy, but please just hear me out," Rose began, sitting down in the empty chair and placing her drink on the table, staring at the dark depths before glancing up at Noah, "You may not believe me at first, but, I'm your half sister." She took a deep breath before shooting into the story, "I've lived with my father in California my entire life. My mother left when I was about six months old, and I never saw her again. When my father died not long ago, I didn't know what to do. I knew I didn't want to go to the orphanage there in California. I didn't want to be adopted in to some family that would throw me out in two years anyways. So I decided to try and find my mother. It took a little digging, but I found out she lived here in Oakdale. I took as many security measures as I could so the police wouldn't be able to find me until I found my mother.

"They always said they'd find my birth mother, but I know that their searches never go fast, and by the time they found her and contacted her, I would be eighteen and it wouldn't matter anymore anyways. So I wanted to find her myself. I left my car there. I just bought a plane ticket and left my credit cards and things there. I kept my cell phone turned off. The only way I think they'd find me is if they found out that I'd transferred my school records to the high school here in Oakdale.

"Anyways, once I got here, I went to the hospital to have a DNA test run. Just as proof for my mother when I found her. But the doctor, he told me that she'd been murdered. I wasn't sure what to do, really. I panicked for a moment, until he spoke again, and told me that she'd had another child. A son." Rose took a breath, her eyes never leaving Noah's, his now filled with surprise, shock, and she thought she saw a bit of something else that she couldn't quite decipher.

She glanced over at Luke, but the blonde was watching Noah in concern, "Noah?" he asked softly, squeezing his hand.

Rose grabbed anxiously for her drink and made to stand up, "Look, I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have even brought this up. J-Just forge-" her voice broke off when Noah's hand shot out and grabbed to wrist to stop her form leaving.

"Don't go, I'm just a bit shocked." Noah released his grip on her wrist as she settled back down into the chair then continued, "I- I want to believe you-"

"You don't have to," Rose jumped in quickly, "They're still holding my blood sample at the hospital, and Dr. Hughes said that you could go in to have your own blood taken and they'd run the test."

Noah nodded, his eyes falling back to his hand still holding's Luke. His gaze traveled up Luke's arm until it settled on his eyes. Rose watched on, and was convinced that these guys must've been together for a while now. She looked form one face to another. They seemed to almost be having an entire conversation without words. This idea was even more reinforced when Luke looked back up at her.

"I'll go with him to have the test run this afternoon," he began. Rose opened her mouth to thank him, but he cut in before she could, "If you'll come out to a family dinner at my family's farm tonight."

"Oh, well- it's- I just- I can't impose," she muttered sheepishly. She hadn't expected anything like that. They didn't even know if she was lying, and already inviting her to dinner with the family?

Luke grinned, "There's always room at our table. Promise you'll come?"

Rose just smiled, then rolled her eyes, "I guess I can."

He just continued to grin at her, bending over to pull a notebook out of his backpack and tearing out a blank sheet. After a few minutes, Rose was wondering what he was writing, until he handed her the paper. It was the most detailed list of directions she'd ever seen in her life, complete with a map and large letter on certain corners that read 'TURN HERE.'

"Think you can find it without getting lost?" Luke teased.

Rose just gave him a mock glare that only succeeded in making him laugh. Glancing down at a silver watch strapped to her wrist, Rose stood, "Well, I need to go before I'm late to class again."

"Great to meet you, Rose," Noah said, offering her the first real smile she'd seen on his face since she told her story, "See you tonight at the farm."

Rose just nodded, now positively beaming. Not only was Noah willing to go and find out if the story was true, but they had already invited her to a dinner with Luke's family, and already seemed to be accepting her.

As she walked out of the small place, she couldn't help but smile. So two new acquaintances in one day; but she knew she'd give up the rest of the acquaintances of the week to have met those two. Nothing could bring her down right now.

--

"Odd, isn't it?" Luke asked, looking up at Noah after Rose had left, "That I'd run into your sister and not even know it."

"Well, you always have had a knack for attracting the attention of my family members," Noah said with a smile, "Some in better ways than others," he added with a laugh, though Luke could tell it was partially forced.

"Well, I should go to. My class starts soon," Luke said, standing up, "I'll be back after my class and we'll go over to the hospital."

Noah nodded a bit, putting a hand on Luke's arm to stop him as he walked away. He pulled him back, kissing him softly on the lips, "See you later."

--

A/N: Believable story? Not? Feedback please! I live for it!


	4. Chapter Three: Meeting the Family

A/N: I know it's been a while since I've updated this story, and I'm sorry. I've been struck with too many fanfic ideas at once, so I'm working on four fanfic right now. Dang that's hard to keep up with! Anyways, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot and Rose, blah blah blah, you know the drill.

--

The bell rang to signal the end of Rose's last class, and she stood, gathering her things together. She puller her bag over her shoulder and followed the crowd towards the large double doors that led outside. Taking a seat on a bench a few yards away, she pulled out the paper Luke had given her and started reading the directions.

There was no way anyone could possibly get lost with such elaborate directions, but she was sullenly confident she would find a way to. Sighing slightly she kept the paper out and started down the sidewalk, following the arrows on the paper still clutched in her hand.

--

Luke leaned over the counter, not saying a word as he waited for Noah to finish a few things before his shift ended. Finally, he wiped the counter clean and tossed the rag into a bucket, turning to smile at Luke, "Ready?" he asked, though Luke could still detect the apprehension in his voice.

Luke merely nodded, and once they were outside, finally spoke, "So what do you think of Rose?" he asked, a strange déjà vu feeling coming over him, reminding him over when he asked Noah a similar question as Ameera stood inside the kitchen at the farm. He shook the feeling away, focusing on hearing Noah's answer.

He didn't answer until they were in his truck and he was pulling out of the parking lot, "I'm not sure. I guess we'll find out soon enough if she's being honest." He paused, but Luke didn't speak, sensing that Noah had more to say on the subject, and a few moments, Noah's voice broke the silence again, "I mean, she came here looking for her-our-mother, and, I don't know. She came here looking for a place to live, a family to love her. And I don't know how much I can help her with that. I mean, I don't even have a place; I'm just living with your family at the farm."

Noah looked sideways at Luke when he scoffed and shook his head, "Noah," he said, looking up at his boyfriend with a smile, "You know that's not an issue. You're like family to us, so she's family by default; she's stuck with us whether she likes it or not!" He laughed a bit and continued in a more serious tone, "None of my family would ever send your sister out onto the streets. She'll have a place to live, and as much of a family as you've had."

The dark-haired boy had to smile a bit, "Yeah, I didn't think I'd have anyone left if my dad ever died." He reached over with his right and gripped Luke's left hand, "But I have more family now than I've ever had."

Luke smiled as they pulled into the hospital parking lot, squeezing Noah's hand one more time before releasing it to unbuckle his seatbelt, "Well then let's go inside and see if we can add one more to the family, eh?"

Noah just grinned back at him, practically jumping out of the truck, "Let's go then!"

Checking the time on his cell phone, Luke dialed a number on it, "Hang on. I think we'll be late to meet Rose; I should call Aaron and tell him she's coming."

--

Rose's eyes fell to a nice house set in the middle of a large farm. Stables stood in the back, and fields went on until a line of trees cut them off. Biting her lip, she walked up to the screen door and knocked on it, wondering if Luke and Noah were already there. She checked her watch, and saw that she was about half an hour early.

A figure walked towards her that she couldn't quite make out until he opened the door, "Um, can I help you?" he asked uncertainly.

"Uh, I'm s-supposed to be- Is this where- I'm looking for Luke and Noah," she stuttered, looking down at the ground as the man stared at her.

"Well, they're not-" he stopped abruptly as something rang in his pocket. He pulled it out and looked at it, then looked back at Rose, "Excuse me for just a second."

He walked back into the porch and shut the screen door. Though she wasn't trying to listen, his voice drifted out to her anyways, "Hey Luke….Oh, ok…Who is it?……Well she's already here……Ok, see you in a bit." She heard the phone snap shut and the door opened again to reveal the man standing there smiling at her, "Well come on in, sorry about that."

Rose wasn't sure if he was apologizing for not letting her in earlier or for answering the phone while talking to her, but she just muttered almost inaudibly, "Don't worry about it," and walked past him inside. She followed him into the kitchen and took the drink he offered her, sitting at the table.

The man sat down across from her, holding a similar drink, "So, Noah's sister?"

She nodded, "Yes. My name's Rose," she said politely, holding out a hand to him.

He smiled, shaking her hand firmly, "Aaron. I'm Luke's brother."

Rose brightened slightly, now feeling like she knew more about him just from the simple fact, "It's great to meet you." Glancing around, she commented, "This is a nice home."

Aaron shrugged a bit, "Its our grandma's. Luke and Noah both stay here too. I'm getting a place with my fiance soon," he explained, then glanced over his shoulder at the sound of the back door shutting.

A woman walked in from the door behind Aaron, but didn't immediately notice Rose, "I just checked on the girls. Honestly those two." She shook her head, "Fighting because Faith says she's too old to play with dolls and Nat won't convince Ethan to play with her."

Aaron didn't reply to her complaints, but gestured across the table, "Grandma, this is Rose, Noah's sister."

The woman looked up at her and smiled, "Oh hello dear! I'm Emma. My, I didn't know Noah had a sister," she said curiously, walking around the table to hug Rose.

Rose smiled and hugged her back, "Well, half sister," she said shyly, "I've lived with my dad in California until he died recently, and I came here."

"Oh, I'm very sorry, dear," Emma replied, and Rose could tell she really meant it, "And Luke and Noah-?"

She didn't finish her question but Aaron answered in appropriate fashion anyways, "They're on their way. They said they were going to stop at the hospital, but they didn't say why."

"Oh, I insisted that Noah have a DNA test run," Rose injected, "I had one this morning, and I thought it would be best to be completely sure."

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A/N: I was going to write more, but there will be a big scene in the hospital, and I thought it would make the chapter really incredibly long if I put that in too. And also, I didn't feel like writing the big scene, but I wanted to go ahead and give you guys this!! Hope you liked it! And I hope you leave me reviews because I love them, and they make me want to update faster! (Seriously, not kidding, I got 5 reviews on my other story and had the next chapter written and posted half an hour later.)


	5. Chapter Four: Keeping Secrets

A/N: Another chapter! Yay!! Well, I'm sorry this has taken so long!! I put this story on hold so I could finish my other fanfic by my self-imposed deadline, and now I'm back with it! So please enjoy! Also, I've come up with a great idea for a new twist in this story, and I'm very excited about it! It won't be uncovered for a couple more chapters, I think, but I hope you'll enjoy it as well!!

Disclaimer: Do I even need to put this? I own nothing, just Rose and the plot. I do not own the actors or the show. *cough* yet *cough*. Alex and I haven't quite finished our take-over plans yet. We'll keep you posted!

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"It really seems possible now that I think about it," Noah said, continuing their conversation as they stood in the elevator. The conversation topic was of course, his new little sister.

Luke turned the bouquet of flowers around in his hands, a card attached to it reading "Alison." A simple congratulations as he hadn't been able to attend the engagement party. Noah carried a box of chocolates for her, teasing Luke that she would like his gift better: she could eat it, while she could only stare at Luke's. They had decided to bring them, as Ally would be working today and they would probably run into her somewhere, or they'd just search the hospital until they found her.

Luke nodded, "Yeah, she has the same hair as your mom did," he said thoughtfully, walking forward when the doors slid open.

"Yeah, I wonder who her dad-" his voice cut off when Luke put an arm out in front of him as they reached Chris's office. Luke put a finger to his lips, gesturing towards the door where familiar voices could be heard.

"No, Chris, I can't, just stop!" Luke's mouth dropped open, his eyes widening when he recognized Alison's voice.

"Ally, just stop playing this game," Chris's voice returned, "Just look me in the eye and tell me that you don't want to be with me."

Alison sounded like she was trying not to cry at this point, "You know I can't do that. But I'm with Aaron!"

"Come on, do you really want to be with him?" Chris's voice sounded incredibly annoyed, and Luke guessed they had been at this discussion for a while now.

Alison was silent for a moment, and then sounded confident as she replied, "I've told you. I need to be with him. It's the best thing for me."

Chris grunted, Alison gasped and then, silence.

Unable to stand it anymore, Luke pushed open the door to see a sight he never wished to. Chris was holding Alison, kissing her as though the world would end if he didn't. Alison had apparently given up struggling against him, and kissed him back until she heard the door slam shut behind Luke and Noah.

"Luke!" Alison jumped away from Chris as if he was diseased, "Look, this isn't- I didn't-"

"Just stop, okay, Alison?" Luke said coldly, glaring at her.

"Please, don't tell Aaron, I-"

"You what?" Luke spat at her, "You love him? No, of course not. You're only with him because it's the best thing for you, right?" He felt Noah put a hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him but he just shrugged it off, preferring to stay angry at Alison right now.

Alison bit her lip, and Luke was sure she would start crying now, but at the moment, he really didn't care, "Please," her voice was a hoarse whisper now, "Don't tell Aaron about this."

Luke studied her for a moment, "I won't," he said simply, then continued, "You will." She looked at him as though he were crazy, and he stepped towards her and went on, "I know you, Ally. You'll feel guilty about this, and if you don't tell him, then you'll break up with him because you can't be honest with him." She stared down at her feet and he just watched her for a moment before shoving the flowers at her roughly, "Hope you enjoy your engagement," he said coldly, then turned and walked out.

Noah followed suit, pressing the chocolates to her, though not as roughly as Luke had, and added in an equally cold tone, "Congratulations." Luke was waiting for him outside the door, glaring at the bare white wall across from him. Noah put a hand on his shoulder, but he didn't move.

The silence was finally broken by a loud sob from inside the office, as they assumed Alison had broken down crying. Any guilt Luke would have felt at making her cry like that was swept away as the image flashed again in his mind of her kissing Chris. Aaron deserved so much better than that. He deserved someone who wanted to be with him; who wasn't just with him because they 'needed it.'

Suddenly Luke looked back up at Noah and nodded towards the elevator, "Come on, we can ask Bob to run the test," he said, his voice void of any emotion as he started towards the elevator and hitting the up button. He felt Noah wrap his arms around his waist form behind and leaned back against him slightly.

"Don't worry so much," Noah said, "I know it's pretty bad, but your brother is smart; he'll figure it out whether Alison tells him or not."

"I know," Luke said, sighing slightly as the elevator doors opened and they walked inside. Noah kept one arm around Luke's waist, and the blonde leaned against him, staring sullenly at the floor, "But how could she do this to him?"

"Well, in her defense, from the outside, it definitely sounded like Chris was pressuring her," Noah said softly, rubbing one hand in circles on Luke's back.

"But still, even if he was, she said that she was with Aaron because she 'needs to be,'" he spat the last few words, "She didn't exactly put up a fight. Look, can we just stop talking about this?"

"Yeah," Noah said quietly, rubbing his hand gently up and down Luke's back. He racked his mind for new conversation topics, and decided to go back to the most recent one, "So, I wonder who Rose's father is?"

Luke shrugged, "Don't know."

Noah thought about it for a moment, then added thoughtfully, "I wonder if Cheri had an affair with him."

"What?" Luke straightened up and looked at him with an odd expression.

"Well it would explain a lot," Noah said, shrugging slightly, "I mean, what if she got pregnant, and that's why the Colonel divorced her?" he said, blatantly refusing to refer to the man as his father; he didn't deserve the title.

"Maybe, that would make sense," Luke said, nodding, though Noah could tell he was still a bit distant, and with good reason, really.

A short bell sounded and the doors slid open, revealing a floor identical to the one they'd just come from. They walked down the quiet hallway, until they reached the room they were looking for. The door was ajar, so Luke stuck his head in, "Dr. Hughes?" he asked, and the older man looked up.

"Luke, Noah, what brings you two here?" he asked, looking up at them with a kind smile. The two walked inside and took the seats in front of the desk, and Noah quickly shot into the story of Rose's mysterious appearance in town.

Bob nodded, raising his eyebrows occasionally, but not speaking until he was finished. Without a word, he pulled a slip of paper form his desk and filled out the order, handing it to Noah and telling him which room to take it to, "And they'll take the sample and run a test there. They should have the results by tomorrow, and they'll call you. I hope everything works out alright," he added with a smile, turning back to his work as the two younger men made their way from the room.

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A bright smile lit up Rose's face as she looked around outside, the moonlight casting shadows across the darkening landscape. Her eyes fell to the stable in the back, and she made a mental note to ask Luke if there was an extra stall in there. Once everything was settled, maybe she would be able to bring Finness from California, where she'd left the mare at her best friend's stable.

Spinning back around, she took one of the dishes Aaron was trying to balance with two others, and followed him to the picnic table with it.

"Thanks," Aaron muttered, setting down his own two dishes on the table. He looked up and smiled at something somewhere over Rose's shoulder. She turned, seeing a girl walking toward them, long brunette hair pulled into a ponytail, "Hey Ally," he said brightly, walking forward and hugging her, planting a soft kiss on her lips.

"Are Luke and Noah back yet?" she asked, in what sounded like a forced calm voice.

"No, why? They went to the hospital for a DNA test, didn't you run into them?" Aaron asked, looking at her strangely.

"Yeah, I did," she said a little too quickly, in Rose's opinion, "I just thought they might be back by now is all. Guess the test is taking longer than they thought," she gave a sort of forced laugh, but Aaron didn't seem to notice her odd attitude, or at least pretended not to.

Aaron glanced back at Rose for a second, then smiled, "Sorry, Rose this is my fiancé, Alison; Ally, this is Rose, Noah's sister."

"Nice to meet you," Alison said, holding out a hand, which Rose shook politely.

"Likewise," she said simply.

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A/N: Yeah, I know the part with Rose was more of a filler, but it will get better, promise! Please remember to review!!

Also, as this will involve many storylines, I'd like to tell you what is/is not involved in it:

There is no Luke Snyder Foundation  
There was no student government election  
For the intents and purposes of this story, gay marriage is not banned in Cali. (There's your forshadowing hint for the future!)  
Parker and Liberty are together. (This will not become relevent for some time, but will be eventually.)

With that, I'd like to add that this story will continue for a long time, adding twists and turns, storylines and plots twists just as all good soaps do. So if you're tihnking this will be a one-twist-then-its-over kind fo story, then you'd be wrong. I have many plans for this story, and I hope you'll follow along and read them all! :) Til next time!


	6. Chapter Five: Just Like Family

A/N: Hello again! Yes, I've become so excited about my future for this fic that I am updating it again! Two chapters in the same day! I know, its hard to believe as this story has gone for so long without updates at all! So, without further ado, here is the next chapter!!

Oh, and a couple things I didn't add that did/did not happen list for the purposes of this story:

Jack and Carly are together

Aaron and Alison are engaged

Dusty is dead (and he will NOT be coming back!) lol

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"Sounds like their already all out back," Luke commented as they walked towards the house. Sidestepping the building, they went around to the back where everyone was already seated around the table and talking animatedly.

Noah's eyes found the young blonde, and he smiled slightly. Rose looked up, brightening when she saw the two arriving. Noah slid into the empty seat beside her, and Luke beside him.

"Took you guys long enough," Aaron teased from the seat on the other side Rose, "Finally we can eat," without another word, plates began to be passed around the table.

Alison didn't seem as enthusiastic about the boys' arrival, and seemed to try and shrink into the background of the scene, only muttering a few words when she asked someone to pass a dish. She caught Luke's eye for a moment, and then immediately dropped her gaze to her plate and started poking at the mashed potatoes with her fork.

"When did they say they'd have the test results back?" Rose asked as she passed a bowl of string beans to Lily.

"Tomorrow," Noah said, "But its not a big deal; its not like I think you're lying or anything."

"I know, but still," Rose said, hiding a slight smile as she shrugged a bit.

"It'll be useful though," a voice came from across the table, and Rose struggled to remember the man's name; she'd met so many new faces in the last half hour. _Was it Josh? No, maybe Jason_, "You'll need the proof at the station in order for Noah to sign as your legal guardian."

"Good point," Luke spoke up, then added thoughtfully, "Hey Jack, (_That was it!_) where's Carly at? I thought she was coming with you."

Jack nodded, "She is, she'd just taking JJ over to a friend's house, then her and Saje are coming."

Rose tuned out the rest of the conversation. She didn't know who those people were, though she had a feeling she'd be meeting them soon as well. She let her gaze wander the table, her gaze settling on each face as she tried to remember all of their names. _Lucinda, Emma, Lily, Holden, Jack, Parker, Liberty, Brad, Katie, Faith, Natalie, Ethan, Luke, Noah, Aaron, Alison._ She smiled contentedly to herself, surprised that she'd remembered them all. She was never one to be good with names, and she was sure she'd forget a few of them soon, but for now, she knew them all.

At least two more hours passed, during which time Rose met Carly and Saje, and then people began too leave. Taking this as her own cue, Rose stood, picking up her purse, "Thank you so much, Mr. and Mrs. Snyder. The dinner was wonderful."

"It was no trouble at all, dear. You're practically family now," Lily said with a smile, pulling Rose into a hug.

Rose just smiled her thanks, hugging her back, and then pulling away, "I should probably be going."

"Where are you staying at?" Luke asked, and Rose turned to see him looking at her curiously.

"I was just going to get a room at that hotel near the high school," Rose replied.

"No you won't!" Emma said firmly from beside Lily. Rose just stared at the lady until she continued, "You will stay out here at the farm with us; no sister of Noah's is going to go stay in some hotel."

"Oh, I really couldn't impose," Rose said, shaking her head.

"You're not imposing. I'll simply ask Faith and Nat to share a room," Emma insisted.

But this only made Rose more adamant about not staying with them, "No really, I can't put them out of their room."

"Well if you won't stay here, then at least let me give you a room at the Lakeview," Lily said gently.

"But the Lakeview is so expensive; I really couldn't-" her voice cut off as she heard Luke laugh.

"My mom is co-owner of the hotel," he explained, and Rose relaxed slightly.

"A nice room, room service, meals in the restaurant downstairs, I'll take care of everything," Lily said with a warm smile, "I'll take you down there myself," she added, and by the tone of her voice, Rose could tell that the discussion was closed.

A slight smile graced her lips as she looked from one person to the next, her gaze finally resting on Lily, "You're all too kind," she said softly, and then allowed herself to be guided away by Lily after giving Luke and Noah a hug, and grabbing her backpack from inside.

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Once everyone had left, and Lily had come back and put the girls and Ethan to bed, Luke and Noah curled up on the couch in the living room. The conversation had died away about half an hour ago, and Luke just smiled at the silence, resting his head against Noah's shoulder. He turned his eyes up to look at his boyfriend, whose own crystal blue eyes seemed to stare blankly into the distance, though a slight smile stay etched across his perfect features.

He just started at him for a few moments, not wanting to disturb whatever thoughts were giving him that look of serenity, but was finally too curious about what those thoughts were, "Hey," he spoke softly, but it was enough to jerk Noah back to reality, and the crystal eyes now burned his own gaze, "Whatcha thinking about?" he asked in barely above a whisper, as though anything louder would ruin the moment.

Noah just smiled a bit more, shrugging and pulled Luke closer, resting his head against Luke's, "Just everything, I guess," he said softly, "Its just so weird. I didn't think I had any family left. I mean, you and your family have been great to me; your parents treat me like another son, and your siblings just act like they got another brother, but it wasn't the same, you know?"

Luke nodded, "Yeah, I know what you mean."

"And now," Noah just sighed contentedly, "Its just like an amazing discovery or something. For a while now, I couldn't be proud of my family at all. I was ashamed of my history, and everyone who was related to m, because I hadn't met a single one that was decent."

"And now you've met Rose," Luke finished for him. He shifted his head a bit and Noah raised his head from Luke's, turning to look down at him.

"Yeah," Noah replied softly, then closed the distance between them, softly pressing his lips to Luke's.

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A/N: Its extremely short, I know!! And it was a bit of a filler. But the real plot will start in the next chapter, and it will be much longer, I promise!!! Please remember to review! =)


	7. Chapter Six: Official Business

A/N: Ok, now for the real plot!! This is a recent plot twist I came up with yesterday, and I don't know all of the protocol in a police station, but if I get something terribly wrong, then please correct me and I'll fix it! Now, please enjoy the next chapter!

Disclaimer: I own nothing but Rose and the plot..

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A few days had passed since the family dinner, and the test results gave no surprises, proving that Rose was telling the truth about her parentage. As had become habit as of late, Rose left school and went straight out to the farm, entertaining Ethan and the girls when they arrived on the bus until Lily returned. Tuesdays and Thursdays Luke and Noah didn't have class in the afternoons, so they both joined her today, sitting at the table and studying for a test while Rose and Ethan bounced a blue ball back and forth.

"I thought you said that the most abundant chemical sedimentary rock was limestone," Rose pointed out from her place on the floor.

Noah glanced down at the notes he was quizzing Luke over, "She's right. Granite not even sedimentary, is it?"

A groan escaped Luke as he threw his head back, "I don't know," he said in frustration. He was saved from further questioning by a knock at the door. He stood, sidestepping Rose, and went to answer it, muttering under his breath, "Hate geology…"

"Hey Luke," jack's voice came when the door was opened.

"Hey Jack," Luke said with a smile, "Can I get you a drink or something?" he asked politely, stepping aside to let him come inside.

"No, I'm here on official business today," jack said solemnly, as though he would rather be anywhere else in the world. His gaze settled on Rose, and Luke glanced sideways at her.

Taking the hint, Rose handed the ball to Ethan, "Can you go play with Nat for a few minutes?" she asked sweetly. He nodded and bounded off to the next room. Pulling herself to her feet, Rose walked over to where Jack and Luke were standing, vaguely aware of Noah hovering over her should, "Is something wrong?"

"I have a warrant for your arrest," Jack said, though Rose didn't see why he was so upset about it.

"Look, I can just go down to the station and sign as her guardian," Noah interrupted, "And it'll be fine, right?"

Jack shook his head, "I wish it were that simple, Noah," he said gravely, "I need to take Rose down to the station. You guys can come by in about an hour. That'll give us a chance to fingerprint her and get a statement."

"A statement? For what?" Rose asked, now filled with dread at the thought of being charged with something unknown to her.

He wouldn't say another word on the subject as he led her from the house, "We'll be down there as soon as they'll let us see you," Noah promised giving her a quick hug before she and Jack left.

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"What do you think is going on?" Noah asked worriedly after the door shut behind Jack. He looked sideways at Luke, his brow furrowed in thought.

Luke shrugged a bit, biting his lip as he stared at the closed door, then looked back at Noah, "I don't know. You don't think she did something in Sacramento that she didn't tell us about, do you?" he asked slowly, almost afraid of offending Noah by suggesting such a thing.

But Noah seemed to be thinking along the same lines, "I hope not, but we can't really know, can we? I mean we just met her, but…"

Luke walked over, wrapping his arms around the taller man, "It'll be alright. I'm sure its just a misunderstanding," he said, trying to convince himself as much as Noah.

"I hope so," Noah said, though not sounding completely convinced as he wrapped his arms around Luke's waist, pulling him impossibly closer as he buried his head in the blonde's shoulder.

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When she was younger, Rose had always thought it would be fun to ride in a police car, but now she felt like she was going to be sick just from the thought of it. She climbed out of the police car after what only seemed to be a few seconds, and Jack led her inside. She kept her gaze on the floor, following where Jack's feet landed, and avoiding anyone's eye.

They arrived in a room, and she heard a door click shut behind her. She raised her eyes until they met jack's, filled with worry and confusion that he hadn't let show back at the farm, "What's this about?" she whispered, almost scared of the answer.

"We just found out about this this morning," he explained, sitting down and gesturing to the seat across the desk from him. She sat, not taking her eyes off of him, "A bulletin was put out to all police stations about you."

"That I was missing," Rose said hopefully, "And that they want me brought back to the orphanage is Sacramento?"

Jack only shook his head, rubbing his eyes painfully, "I wish it had been that, but it was much more serious than that."

Rose racked her brain for what could have been told to him, but nothing came to mind. She hadn't broken any laws that she knew of, and she had no history of crimes, so what on earth could it be?? She shook her head, waiting for him to continue, and when he finally said it, she froze. She had never expected to hear her father's name even mentioned in this town, much less is such context, but there is was.

"Rose, you're a suspect in the murder of David Genness."

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A/N: dun dun duuun!! Cliffhanger, I know. This didn't turn out as long as I expected it to, but I hope you like it so far! Be sure to leave me reviews!! I love them so much!!


	8. Chapter Seven: Murder Mysteries

A/N: I've officially decided something: while some people claim school work as the reason they don't update, I claim it as the reason I do. This is good for my readers, but bad for me. Because I stall the papers I should be writing, and my best form of stalling, is writing! That would be the reason this is my…..fourth chapter, I think, in two days. Lol. Anyways, enjoy!

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"M-Murder?" Rose choked out the word, a look on her face showing that she felt like she was going to be sick. That couldn't be right. He wasn't murdered. The police had told her so the day she called 911 after she found him. And, even if he had been, (which he wasn't) why would she be a suspect? Because her fingerprints were everywhere? Yeah, well he had died (not been murdered) in their house, so her fingerprints would be everywhere, but that would be no reason to bring her in, "I don't know what you're talking about," she whispered quietly, "They said he had a heart attack."

Jack nodded solemnly, "Yes, but a second autopsy showed that he was strangled."

Rose pressed her lips hard together, swallowing the thick bile that had risen in her mouth. Once she trusted herself to open her mouth, her voice was barely above a whisper, "Were there no fingerprints on him?"

"Only yours," Jack replied, then added hurriedly, "It was of course assumed that you touched him when you got home and found him dead, but there were no fingerprints around his throat, so we can only guess the person was wearing gloves. And yours gloves were-"

"In the house because I lived there!" Rose exclaimed angrily, wondering how on earth they could link that to her when she lived there! Of course her gloves would be there!"

"-lying right next to the body," Jack finished as though she hadn't interrupted, though his voice was more firm.

Wide eyes stared at him, then Rose bit her lip, closing her eyes hard, tears leaking out from the corners of her eyes, "My riding gloves," she whispered almost inaudibly.

"What was that?" Jack asked softly, opening his notebook to write down what she had to say.

"My riding gloves," she said a bit louder, opening her eyes and staring at her hands, "I was riding my horse, Finness, at the stables down the road from our house when it happened. I'd left my riding gloves at home, and called my dad and asked him to bring them to me. He-he must've been on his way to bring them when whoever did it came in," a deep sob racked her lungs and she buried her face in the crook of her elbow, laying her arms against the table as she finally succumbed to the tears that now thoroughly dampened her sleeve. Saying out loud that someone had come in and killed him gave it a sense of truth; as though it was now an undeniable fact that she had to face.

She felt a warmth on her back, and realized that Jack had walked around the table to comfort her, and ran his hand in gentle circles on her back, "I-I knew som-something was wr-wrong," she cried between sobs, "Wh-When he didn't sh-show up at th-the stables. I-I j-just th-thought he had go-gotten a ph-phone call or so-something. Th-then when I-I got ho-home," a fresh flow of tears erupted, and she couldn't help the slight bit of resentment she now felt for the man standing over her; he was the one who had forced her to relive it; he was the one who had given the entire story a twist that she hadn't expected, and that made it so much more difficult; and it was he who was to blame for her current hatred of some unknown, faceless and heartless being that had murdered her father.

"Shhh," Jack whispered softly, rubbing her back until she calmed down a bit, "We're going to figure this out, alright?" he said, though Rose didn't believe him. Whatever he said, she was still the only suspect in the case, "Let's just get you fingerprinted, then Margo and I will talk with you and we'll try to figure out who would've done this, alright?"

Rose just nodded, standing as she followed him into the next room, where she was fingerprinted, and she met a lady named Margo, who led her back into the same room, with Jack behind her. Far too soon, she had resumed her seat, and had taken to wiping her cheeks in a fruitless effort to rid herself of the streaks of mascara that marred her tanned skin.

"Now, Rose, I need you to think clearly about this," Margo said, and Rose scoffed. Margo ignored her and continued, "I need you to tell me anything you can think of; is there something that's happened recently, someone who was angry at your father? Or someone who's held a grudge against him?"

Rose racked her brain, and finally shook her head, "No; everyone pretty much liked him, and those that didn't were always at least polite to him," as an afterthought, she added, "The only person that I can think of is my mother, Charlene Wilson; I always sort of thought that she might hate him, but…" her voice trailed off as she turned her face to the table.

"But she's dead," Jack finished for her, and she nodded, "Are you sure there's not anyone else? Even someone you haven't met, but that he's mentioned?"

"Charlene's first husband," Rose said, though she knew it was about as useless as the information about Charlene, "My dad said that the man always blamed both of us for his divorce from Charlene."

"But he's dead as well," Margo said, rubbing her eyes impatiently, "Isn't there someone else, Rose? Someone who's alive, preferably?"

"I'm sorry, I'm trying the best I can," Rose replied in probably a colder tone than she should have.

"Well try harder," Margo said firmly, "If we can't come up with the real culprit then you will be charged with the murder."

Rose just glared at the table, at this point not caring if she was charged with it, just as long as she could get away from here. As though reading her mind, Jack spoke up, "This isn't just about you, Rose," he said kindly, "Noah didn't have any family left until a few days ago, and I know it would be really hard on him to lose you too."

Her eyes snapped up to meet jack's gaze and she nodded resolutely, leaning back in her chair and closing her eyes so she could concentrate, "There was a man," she said softly, "He worked for my dad, but he stole money from the company, I think, so my dad fired him. He threw a bit of a fit when he left, and swore that my dad hadn't seen the last of him.

"Do you remember his name?" Margo pressed her, and Rose pressed her eyelids together harder.

"No, he always went by a nickname, Rusty," she said, shaking her head sadly, then opened her eyes, "I never actually knew he real name. He was always just Rusty."

"Was it a big company or a self-employed business?" Jack asked, his pen scratching madly across the page.

"Self-employed," she replied confidently, "My dad owned it; it was called Genness Carpet Installers."

Jack nodded, "Alright, then there shouldn't be too many employees to sift through," he said, taking the notebook and standing, "I'll go make so call and see what I can track down."

As jack opened the door, Rose saw Noah standing on the other side, his hand raised to knock, and Luke standing behind him, craning his neck around to see inside the room. His eyes found me and gave ma weak smile, which I returned. Noah stepped aside for Jack, and then the two walked in, "Is it alright if we talk to her?" Noah asked, glancing at Margo.

"Yes, I need to go see to a few things," she said, standing, "And Rose, you're free to go. Jack will call you or stop by the farm to talk to you when we find something."

"Thank you," Rose said, nodding slightly, then turned back to Noah and Luke, who were looking a her with confused expressions.

"So what's going on?" Luke asked.

Rose just shook her head, "Can we go somewhere else and talk?" she asked quietly as she stood, "I've had enough of this place for a long while."

"Yeah," Noah said softly, putting a hand on her arm as they left.

Fifteen minutes later, they sat at a table inside Java. Rose just stared at her untouched drink, twisting the cup in her hands. Luke and Noah didn't say anything, instead just waiting for her to start the conversation. She glanced up at them, then back down at her drink again before shooting into the story, mentioning every detail of what happened at the station, no matter how frivolous. Noah was the first to speak after a few moments of tense silence, "So they're going to track down this Rusty character?" he asked, and Rose nodded, "Well he deserved to be locked up for life," he added in a firmer tone.

"This is completely insane," Luke groaned, rubbing a hand over his face, "How could anyone do that? Over a job?"

Rose just shrugged, "Well, all we can hope for is that they'll catch him, I guess," she said in what she hoped was a confident voice, but judging from the looks on their faces, she wasn't sure she'd accomplished that.

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A/N: So, what'd you think?? Leave me a review and let me know!! It'll only take a second; just clickie the little green button!! *points down* Right there! That's it! :)


	9. Chapter Eight: Rusty

A/N: Sorry, but no Luke, Noah or Rose in this chapter. This is all Jack, though, obviously it does relate to the plot. So please enjoy, and I promise to have more of our boys as well as Rose in the next chapter!!

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"Yeah thanks," Jack mumbled into the phone before hanging it up and setting it beside him on the kitchen table. He glanced down at the notes beside him, scanning over all the information as well at the flight schedule he'd arranged.

"Alright, everything's packed," Carly said sullenly, walking into the kitchen and sliding her arms around his shoulders, "Are you sure you have to go there yourself? Why can't you send someone?"

"Because I don't trust anyone else with this," Jack replied, tilting his head back to kiss her softly on the lips, "I'm going to prove Rose is innocent, and I don't trust anyone else to do a good thorough investigation of this when we already have a suspect. Most people would take that as case-closed."

Carly nodded, and gestured towards the suitcase next to door as he stood, embracing her, "Everything's there for a two-day trip. Do you think that will be long enough?"

Jack nodded, pulling back as he grabbed the papers from the table and folded them carefully, "It should be. I found his wife, and she said that he's out of town. Perfect cover for the murder, in my opinion. But she gave me the name of the hotel and his room number. I called to confirm he was there, but I'll need to go there in person to do a thorough investigation of it. I already called the police station there, and they're keeping an eye on him from afar to make sure he doesn't try to run for it."

"Well be careful," Carly added, leaning up to give him a quick peck before he started towards the door.

"I will," Jack promised, gathering his suitcase and making his way to the car.

Hours later, he stepped out of a cab in New York City, handing a roll of bills to the driver and walking up the sidewalk to his destination. He checked into the hotel, the same one that "Rusty," whom he found out was really named Richard White from his wife, was staying at. Dropping his bags into his room, he decided the first place to start would be the front desk.

Flashing his police badge at the man behind the desk, he leaned forward, "Is a Richard White staying here in this hotel?" he asked in an authoritative voice.

The man nodded, "Yes, he is," he said, going slightly pale.

Ignoring the man's discomfort, Jack continued, "When did he first check in?"

He could see the man trying to decide whether or not to release the information, but fortunately, the man wasn't a brave one, and didn't want to give any hardships to the police officer; that or he had a bad history he didn't want to be uncovered by such a frivolous thing, "Exactly three weeks ago."

"And he's back every night? Has he not come back to his room on any nights?" Jack asked, but the man only stared at him.

"I really don't know, Officer," he said, shaking his head, "But you might ask the bartender. He and Mr. White usually have a drink every night when his shift ends."

"Thank you for your cooperation," Jack said formally, nodding his head towards the man before he turned on his heel and strode towards the bar at the opposite end of the lobby. He pushed open the double oak doors, and was met with a darkness illuminated by black lights. He squinted and blinked a few times before his eyes adjusted, then his gaze finally found a man pouring drinks behind the bar.

He flashed the badge again and leaned against the bar, "Do you have a minute?" he asked, nodding towards a table in the corner.

The man only glanced at him for a moment before returning to the drinks, "I'll meet you over there in a minute; I have to finish these drinks," he muttered in a rough voice.

Deciding that he needed to stay on the man's good side in order to get any information, he simply nodded and walked over to the table, falling down into one of the chairs as he watched the man. He was bald, and had a mustache and beard that looked unclean, as though he'd simply forgotten to shave for the past couple of weeks. The man mixed two more drinks and poured them into their respective glasses, sliding them down the bar to his customers. Then he wiped his hands on a rag that looked as though it would only make his hands dirtier, then made his way casually to the table, not catching Jack's eye until he sat in the chair across from him.

"Now how can I help you?" he asked impatiently, drumming his fingers on the table.

Jack glared at his hand for a moment, and the man took the hint and stopped the annoying sound, though he still looked at Jack as though he shouldn't be allowed in his bar, "Do you know a Richard White? He may go by Rusty."

The man nodded, "Yeah, I know a Rusty," he said simply, apparently trying to be as difficult as he could with the subject.

"Do you see him often?" Jack pressed, but the man only nodded, not speaking another word as he leaned back and crossed his arms, "Alright, let me rephrase. When do you see him? Where do you see him? For what reason? And how often exactly?"

The bartender just stared at him for a moment, and Jack could tell that he was trying to find a way to weasel around the questions, but finally gave up, "Around five o'clock when my shift ends; here in the bar; we have a few drinks together; and every night since he came to stay at the hotel three weeks ago."

"Have there been any nights you haven't seen him? Or that he was unusually late?" Jack asked.

"Nope; he's been here every night. Usually gets here 'bout half an hour before I get off, actually," he said confidently, as though he were extremely proud of the fact.

"Are you completely sure?" Jack asked, letting out a breath as he closed his eyes, "Particularly the night of August 17th?" he asked, naming the day that the murder had happened.

The man pursed his lips, apparently thinking harder, "Nope, he was here then too. I remember; that was the only night I had to practically drag him back to his room. That one can drink, I'll you that much. Now is there anything else I can help you with, Officer?" he spat the last word, but Jack was too disgruntled to reprimand him for the lack of respect.

"No, get back to your job," Jack muttered coldly, pressing his palms against his closed eyelids as the man made his way back to his place behind the bar.

"Hey, Rusty!" the bartender's voice echoed and Jack glanced up to see him beckoning a man over to him. He glanced towards Jack, whispering something to Rusty, and then Rusty glanced back at him as well.

The bartender seemed annoyed, but Rusty looked as though he just wanted to get whatever this was over with, so he didn't even wait for Jack to come and get him, but just strode over to the table and sat down across from him, "You need something with me?" he asked sourly.

"I'd just like to ask you a few questions," Jack replied. Rusty waved his hand in a gesture for him to continue, and Jack questioned him for at least half an hour. Everything he said passed, and matched the what the bartender had told him, except for the part about August 17th, which Rusty said was a little fuzzy between arriving at the bar and waking up the next morning, but Jack accounted this to what the bartender had said about having to drag Rusty back to his room. Jack dismissed him and Rusty went back to talk with the bartender.

Sighing slightly, Jack pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and took out a pen, glancing down at the only leads he had been given on the case.

_Charlene Wilson - Deceased_

_Col. Mayer - Deceased_

_Richard "Rusty" White - Cleared_

_Rose Genness - Key suspect_

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_A/N: Ah yes, so Rusty is innocent! What next? Did Rose actually do it? Or was it the ghost of Charlene or Mayer?? Now, you know me better than to think I'll tell you that, don't you? Please leave ma a review and I promise to update faster!!_


	10. Chapter Nine: Murderess

The day Jack was gone was uneventful for Rose, who was waiting at the farm when the kids got home from school. She heard a knock on the door, and went to stand up, but Nat grabbed her arm, "No, stay here," she begged.

"I have to get the door, I'll be right back," Rose said with a smile. They went back and forth for a few minutes until Rose finally broke away, only to lean against one of the chairs in the kitchen laughing too hard to stand on her own, "Wh-What are you doing?!" she choked out between laughs.

Noah glared at her as he climbed through the window, one leg still just outside the window, "I forgot my key, and I didn't think anyone was home."

"So you climbed through a window?" Rose asked, grinning at him, "And you know there's an extra key under the cushion on the bench out there, right?" Noah didn't reply as he jumped down from the counter and closed the window as though nothing had happened, "Yeah, don't open the door; the window is much safer!" she said in a mocking voice, but he just smiled, walking over and throwing her over his shoulder, "Hey! No fair! Put me down!" she laughed, beating her fists on his back, though not nearly hard enough for it to actually remotely hurt him.

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It was a few days after Jack had returned from California, and Rose was the only suspect again. Luke had noticed everyone in the family looking sideways at her, and Lily had asked that whenever he could he be home when she was with the kids after school. And on the days he couldn't be, Lucinda had taken to staying with her, only telling Rose that she thought she may need the extra help.

Luke had gotten out of his class early one Friday, and went over to the farm. He dialed Lucinda's number on his phone while he was in the car, but she didn't answer, so he just figured he'd tell her that she could leave when he got there. When he walked in, Rose was sitting on the floor tickling Ethan as he laughed, trying to push her hands away, and Lucinda was watching her warily from the table.

The older lady's eyes snapped up when he opened the door, "Luke, I thought you had class?"

"Got out early," he said with a shrug, setting his backpack on the floor beside the table, "Hey Rose," he said, letting his gaze fall to the blonde girl, who had removed her hands from a still laughing Ethan to let him catch his breath.

"Hey Luke," she said with a smile.

"Well I suppose you don't need my help anymore," Lucinda said, forcing a smile as she glanced at Rose, "So I'll just be going." She reached for her purse, knocked it over and its contents fell over the table and some onto the floor. Luke had to hold in a gasp as what looked like a longer rectangular pill container landed on the floor, the impact of it causing it pop open, though no pills fell out; instead a knife blade flipped open a few feet from where Rose sat.

She stared at the blade, then reached for it, tucking the blade back into its concealed holder. Luke could tell her hands were shaking as she placed it on the table beside Lucinda's purse, which she had shoved everything else inside. Lucinda swallowed hard, looking at Rose with a frightened look, though she seemed like she was trying to hide it behind a casual glance. Rose stood up, and Luke saw a look of recognition on her face, "I'm feeling a bit sick. I-I think I should go," Rose whispered, and I could tell she was close to tears, though she did look as though she was going to be sick; somehow, though, I didn't think it was because of a cold.

Rose didn't wait for a response, but just grabbed her purse from the table and dashed out of the house, "I guess she's finally realized why everyone's been on edge around here," Luke muttered quietly, staring guiltily at the screen door.

"Yes, well how can we be blamed for taking precautions?" Lucinda asked, seemingly unperturbed by the scene, "She's a suspect in a murder, Luke. The only suspect. We have every right to be wary of the girl."

"I know, but does she really seem like a murderer?" Luke asked, not quite convinced. Of course, he had to admit that the way it looked, Rose was the murderer, but he felt guilty pinning Noah's only family as such; then again, he had to pin Winston Mayer as one less than a year ago.

"Doesn't matter," Lucinda said with a shrug, setting her purse back down and slumping into the chair.

"Where's Rose?" Ethan asked, pulling at the leg of Luke's pants.

Luke swallowed the lump in his throat and forced a smile for his baby brother, "She wasn't feeling well, so she left."

"Can I make her a get well card?" he asked, and Luke had to nod.

"Why don't you ask faith and Nat to help you?" he suggested, reaching a hand down to ruffle Ethan's hair.

"Ok," he said simply, then rushed off into the next room to find his sisters.

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Noah tossed the rag to Jeff as the man came in to take over, "See ya later, man," Jeff said as Noah left. Noah waved back at him, but didn't say anything. His mind had been reeling all day. For a few days, actually. Ever since jack had gotten back to town with the news that the only lead had turned out to be a dead end, and now Rose was the last suspect in the case.

He'd already gone through one of his family members turning out to be a murderer, and he didn't want to go through it again. Especially not with Rose. She didn't seem like she would hurt a fly, much less kill her own father. Unfortunately, ever sign pointed to her, and she had no more answers.

A sigh escaped him as he pushed open the door to the farm, surprised to see Luke there instead of Rose, "Hey, where's Rose?" he asked curiously.

"She ran off," Luke said without looking up at him, his eyes directed at the table. He sighed slightly, then finally looked up at him, "I think she's realized that we all have no choice but the believe she did it," he said, not needing to explain further.

Noah nodded, walking over and putting a hand on his shoulder, "I guess it's the only option left," he said, choking back a sob.

Luke gave him a sorrowful look and rubbed his arm softly.

"I think I'm going to go home. I'm sure you two can handle the kids, especially since they're doing an art project," Lucinda said, standing up and managing to grab her purse without knocking it over this time, "I'll see you boys later," she added, Giving them each a one armed hug and a light kiss on the cheek.

"Art project?" Noah questioned, looking strangely at Luke, "What's that about?"

Luke avoided his eye, "They're making get well cards for Rose," he said softly, "She said the reason she was leaving was because she felt sick."

Noah didn't question anymore, but just wrapped his arms tightly around his boyfriend, closing his eyes as Luke rested his head in the crook of Noah's neck, "I just can't believe it," Noah said softly, and Luke could feel his throat rumbling as the words left his mouth.

"I know," Luke said regretfully, "I'm really sorry, Noah."

"Don't be," the taller man replied, "Its not your fault." After a moment, he added, "At least I still have you."

Luke just smiled against his neck, "You'll always have me," he said softly, moving his head only an centimeter or so to press his lips against the side of Noah's neck, "I love you."

"I love you too," Noah whispered, planting a soft kiss on Luke's forehead, then rested his head against Luke's, just grateful for the moment to stand there and hold his boyfriend as though time would never resume, and nothing would ever bother them; as though they could just stand here like this forever.


	11. Chapter Ten: Pain

A/N: I know its been forever since I've updated, but I have tons more written, I just ahve to upload it. Also, **IMPORTANT NOTE** If you have not read or reread the last chapter, please do so!!! There is a part at the beginning that I added that is very important to this chapter!!!!

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A sigh escaped Noah's lips as he flipped his phone shut for the tenth time, "She's still not answering," he said softly, and the words came as no surprise, having been stated more times than was possible to count in the last three days, since Rose confined herself to her hotel room, "I'm really worried about her," he added, shoving his phone back into his pocket as he looked over at the blonde sitting at the table.

Luke looked up from a paper he'd been writing for the last hour, though only a few sentences were scratched onto the paper, "Try not to worry so much," he said, trying to convince himself as much as Noah. He felt guilty about what was going on, since he could've stopped her when she tried to leave that day, "My mom said she's been getting room service; I'm sure she's taking good care of herself. She's sixteen."

"I know, but…" Noah slumped into a chair beside Luke and put his face in his hands, "I just-" he stopped abruptly at a knock on the door.

Standing up, Luke squeezed Noah's shoulder softly before going to the door, "Hey Jack," he said in a monotone voice, "Is there something I can help you with?"

"Yeah, there is," Jack said in a voice that pointed out that he'd rather be anywhere in the world at that moment, "Do you know where Rose is?"

"She's quarantined herself in her hotel room," Noah said in a hollow voice, looking up from the table, "Why?" He already knew the answer, and knew he would regret asking.

"I have a warrant for her arrest," Jack said with a sigh, rubbing his hand over his eyes, "She's being charged with the murder. Is there anyway to get her out of the room?"

Noah groaned, laying his head on the table, "Well Luke said she's been getting room service delivered. I guess that's the only time she opens the door…"

Luke just shook his head, "My mom said she's been asking the employees to leave the cart in the hall, and she'd put it back out there when she was done."

"There has to be some way to get her out," Jack said, and Luke could tell that he'd resigned himself to having to take the girl into custody, though they were all sure she had nothing to do with the murder, "Someone she trusts that she'll let inside?"

Noah just shook his head, "I've tried, but she won't even say a word."

Closing his eyes, Luke sighed, "I'll try," he said in a resigned voice, "I was the first person she met when she came to town, maybe she'll trust me," he muttered, though he didn't actually believe it. Jack just nodded, saying something about having a team around the corner or something, but Luke didn't hear him.

When they got to the room, Luke licked his lips, taking a breath as he glanced sideways, seeing Jack's team in the stairwell, waiting for his signal. They had told him to go in first, and try to calm her down, then they would come in when he opened the door to leave. He raised his fist and knocked twice on the door, but got no response, "Hey Rose, open up," he said, staring at the ground in front of the door, "It's me, Luke."

He knocked again, and this time, he was extremely taken aback to see the door swing inward, revealing a pitch black room. He saw Jack ushering him on out of the corner of his eye, so he stepped into the room, reaching a light switch as he shut the door behind him, "Rose? Why are the lights off?"

As soon as the door clicked shut behind him, Luke felt something pull him into the room, and a cloth was shoved deep into his mouth. He heard a muffled screamed somewhere to his left, and felt ropes cutting into his wrists and ankles. A hand pulled on the ropes binding his wrists, and his back came in contact with someone behind him, the voice making his blood freeze, "Glad you came, boy. Saved me a trip," Winston Mayer's voice growled in his ear.

The next thing he knew, Luke was thrown against the wall, half landing on another body that gave a feeble groan at the pain. He awkwardly tried to shift to the left, off of the body, and blinked a few times as he tried to adjust to the light. Finally, the shadows were defined, the minimal light being supplied by the crack under the door, and a few slits of sunlight from the half-closed blinds on the window. He could see Rose huddled against the wall beside him, and Noah's father stood in front of him, a gun held in his hand as his eyes darted from Rose to Luke, and back again.

"You two have been a thorn in my side since day one," he growled, his eyes now turning to a dark glare as he faced Rose, "Even before you were born!" he added harshly, kicking her in the side and making her whimper against the cloth gagging her.

"Luke? Rose? Are you in there?" Noah's voice outside forced Luke to hold in a sigh of relief.

Winston glared at the door, then looked down at Rose, putting the gun in her face and his other hand on the cloth in her mouth, "Now, you're going to tell him that you're fine, and to leave, understand?" He whispered in a harsh tone, but Rose only glared at him, "Stubborn one, aren't you?" he added with a smirk, and then turned the gun to Luke, "Now will you cooperate?" Rose's eyes widened in horror, and she nodded quickly, though Luke shook his head for her to not give in, "Good."

As soon as he removed the cloth, Rose swallowed, and said in a forced calm voice, "We're here, we're just talking."

"Are you alright? Let me in."

"We're fine. Just leave," she said, and Luke could see the tears prickling in her eyes.

"No, I'm coming in. I've got Mrs. Snyder's master key card."

"No, don't!" Rose said hurriedly, eyes darting to Luke in fear. Then, Luke thought he saw a look of recognition on her face, but as quickly as it appeared it was gone and he thought he imagined in. Rose then said in a more confident voice, "Don't open the door!"

Noah didn't say anything for a while, then, "Alright."

"Good," Winston said with a smirk, and Luke just stared at the door, wondering why Noah had given in so easily.

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"That's it, we're going in," Jack muttered under his breath, signaling for the police force to get in place behind him.

Noah nodded, pulling out the card, but froze when he heard Rose's voice again, "Don't open the door!"

"What are you waiting for?" Jack hissed at him, but Noah ignored him.

"Don't open the door," he whispered, sure that Rose was trying to tell him something, then he looked back at Jack, "The window is much safer."

"What?" Jack asked, looking at Noah as if he'd lost his mind, but Noah ignored him again.

"Alright," Noah said loudly after a while to Rose, then turned and motioned for Jack and the others to follow him to the elevator.

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Winston replaced the gag in Rose's mouth but Luke continued to stare down the barrel of the gun in front of him, "Now you, my boy," the cold voice said in a deathly soft voice, "Saved me a lot of trouble of going out to find you. We can't have people seeing the dead man walking, now can we?"

Luke swallowed, trying his best not to look scared as he raised his gaze to meet that of the man who'd tried to kill him twice already. He could see Rose looking at him out of the corner of his eye, apparently horror struck that the gun was still aimed at him even though she'd gone along with the murderer's demands.

It seemed like hours, though maybe it was only minutes, that Luke held the man's gaze, before the gun moved slowly, to aim at Rose, as his heart dropped to his stomach, "Now, who will be first?" he asked in a sick, amused tone, "The one who ruined my marriage? Or the one who ruined my son?"

A moment later, things were moving too fast for Luke to realize what was going on. There was a banging of the window opening, footsteps, screaming, then something grabbed his arm and pulled him to his feet, and he felt cold metal press against his cheek, and everything stopped, "One move and the boy dies," Winston's voice growled from beside him, and Luke felt the barrel of the gun press deeper into his cheek, as though to prove his point, and Luke gasped softly against the gag.

Luke forced his eyes open, to see Noah halfway in the window, and Jack just behind him. Noah looked at the man in shock, then his eyes fell to Luke and a look of dark horror came over his face, "This won't do," Winston said, in that sick, amused voice again, and he released Luke's arm just long enough to remove the gag, and then gripped him tighter than before. Luke glanced sideways at the man, and saw him grinning wickedly at his son, "I want you to hear his dying scream," he said in barely above a whisper, though the words echoed in the hollow silence.

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Rose stared in horror at the scene, her heart pounding and blood throbbing loudly in her ears. _I have to do something._ she thought, staring at the back of the man who held Luke with a gun against his face. Her eyes darted around, and finally landed on her ankles tied loosely together and laying at an awkward angle. She raised her gaze until it found Noah's, and she raised her eyebrows at him. He glanced back at Luke, but gave the slightest nod of his head to her, "How did you survive? We all thought you had drowned," he said to his father.

Taking the moment that he was stalling, Rose shifted slightly, careful to only move when someone was speaking so it would be harder for Winston to hear her, "Come now, Noah. You didn't really think something like that would kill me, did you? Did I teach you nothing about how the military teaches a person to survive?"

She only had about a foot to shuffle, and then she laid back on the ground. The man heard her, and jerked around to face her, but she raised her legs up and kicked him as hard as she could around the knees. Luke fell to the ground, thrown off balance, with a hard thud, and a shot was let form the gun, shooting off right where his head had been a split second before.

More footsteps came, but Rose was only focused on the man laying on the ground, now pointing the gun at her, a hard glare on his face as he pulled the trigger again.

A sharp pain pierced her just below her right shoulder and she gasped against the gag, trying to breathe in enough air, but each breath brought her pain. _Pain is good._ she thought, concentrating as she held onto the pain. She just needed to feel the pain. She could feel a sticky liquid draining across her chest and her back, but she felt the pain. As long as she felt the pain, she would be ok. As long as she felt the pain, she could get through this. As long as she felt the pain, she was still alive.

The gag was removed from her mouth, and she heard voices over her, though they sounded miles away. She took in a deep, shaky breath, as she fought to hold onto consciousness, and the pain that kept her from going over the edge. Blackness surrounded her, though she tried to escape it, and she fell into a deep black void. And then there was no more pain.


	12. Chapter Eleven: Nightmares

_I stood frozen in the window, my eyes wide as I looked on in horror at my father, alive after all, with a gun against Luke's head. My blood was frozen, as the rest of my body, and breaths were almost nonexistent. I caught Rose's eye for a moment, and guilt washed through me; I had really thought she was responsible for her father's death, but knew now that she wasn't. _

_The look in her eyes told me all I needed to know: she had a plan. I tried to distract my father, questioning him to give Rose enough time for whatever she was going to try. He heard her a moment too late, and fell to the ground. I thought that was it. I thought we had won. Then I heard the gun shot. And then another. _

_I closed my eyes and shook away the tears, telling myself the shots hadn't hit anyone. And then I felt my body shift, and I opened my eyes, but I wasn't in the window anymore. I was lying on the ground, the hot metal of a freshly-shot gun weighing down my hand, and my eyes set on the bleeding body of my sister. _

_No, no, no. It wasn't true. I tried to shake my head, to drop the gun, do anything, but I couldn't. I had no control of my body. I heard Luke's voice, "You killed her, Noah. You killed her." I raised my head up, not of my own accord and looked at him. He looked at me in terror, and my hand raised the gun to face him. _

_No! No! No! I was screaming the words in my head, but it did no good as I stared at him, tears streaking his face and he stared at me in fear. I never thought he would, or even could, look at me like that, as though he were truly afraid of me. I wanted to drop the gun, to run over to my sister and try to save her; no one else was moving to do it. But my hand only tightened around the gun against my will. _

_NO! NO! NO! My finger squeezed the trigger and I let out a silent scream as a bullet pierced his perfect face. And then I heard it. What my father had wanted me to hear the entire time: Luke's dying scream._

"NOAH!" a voice screamed in his ear, and Noah bolted up right, gasping for breath and sweating as though he'd just run a marathon, "Are you alright?"

"Luke," Noah mumbled, "Where's Luke?" His eyes darted around, everything blurred in his search for the blonde.

"He just went to get some coffee; he'll be right back," Lily said gently in his ear, rubbing his back softly.

Noah sighed, his breath starting to return to normal, and he was able to take in his surroundings. White walls surrounded them, in what seemed to be a waiting room, and Noah recognized it as the one the nurse had directed them to when they arrived. It was in the back, away from the main waiting room, and only about a dozen chairs sat around them, as well as the two-seat bench that Noah was sitting on, with Lily in the chair beside him, and Holden on the other side of her, "Rose?" he asked, jerking his head back around to Lily as the reason for their presence in the place finally hit him.

Lily gave him a weak smile, "She came out of surgery just about a couple hours after you fell asleep. The doctor came in about half an hour ago and said she's in recovery."

"He said that two people can go in and see her at a time," Holden continued for her, leaning with his arms on his knees, "But Luke wanted to wait until you woke up; he knew you'd want to see her first."

Noah nodded slightly, "Thank you," he muttered quietly, "How long was I asleep for?"

"A few hours, I think," Lily said, "Luke didn't want to wake you; said that you haven't been getting much sleep lately, worrying about Rose's murder case and everything."

He only nodded again, then opened his mouth to ask about his father, but thought better of it as a flash from his dream came back to him, and he stared at Rose's body with the gun in his hand. Shaking away the image, he stood, "Which room is Rose in?"

"Go down the hall to the right, and it's the last door on the left," Holden replied.

Without a word, Noah started out of the room, almost robotically, and half way down the hall, he again noticed the feeling of having no control over his body as his feet took him to Rose's room. He stopped in the middle of the hall, if only to prove to himself that he still had control of his body, then shook his head for being so ridiculous, and continued to the room.

He swallowed the lump that formed in his throat as he stepped into the recovery room. Various machines beeped and buzzed, and he didn't even want to try and count the number of tubes and needles connected to Rose's frail body. His eyes fell to the chair beside her bed, but he knew he wouldn't be able to sit still, so he just walked closer to her bed, forcing back tears that threatened at his eyes.

His gaze lingered on her face, a tube across her nose, and bruises from things he wasn't sure he wanted to know about. Noah let his fingers graze the top of her hand, and then careful took her hand in his larger one, handling it as though it were more breakable that glass, "I'm sorry," he whispered softly, eyes on her hand as he rubbed his thumb absentmindedly across the top of her knuckles, "I should've believed you. I just- I never thought my father…If I even had a clue he was alive…" He wasn't sure if she could hear him, or if he was just talking to himself, but he would say it to her again when she woke up.

"She doesn't blame you, you know," a voice came from behind him, "No one does." Noah felt Luke's hands squeeze his shoulders lightly, then run smoothly down to hold his forearms.

The tears Noah had tried to suppress now flowed freely down his cheeks as he softly replaced Rose's hand on the bed sheets, and turned to gather Luke into his arms, "I know," he said softly, "I was so afraid. I thought- I thought I was going to lose you. And now Rose-"

"Shhh," Luke cut him off, rubbing small circles on his back as Noah's tears dampened the shoulder of his shirt. Noah's head jerked up when one of the machines started beeping faster, "What's wrong?" Luke asked, staring at the machine, but Noah only shook his head, glancing back to the door and flagging down one of the nurses as she passed.

"I'll take care of it," the nurse said kindly, and Luke and Noah stepped out of the room. Luke glanced back to see her adjusting one of the IV's, and turned to follow Noah back into the waiting room.

"Everything alright?" Lily asked as soon as they walked into the room. Noah said nothing, but just sat back down on the bench and stared blankly at the wall across form him.

"Yeah," Luke said quickly, picking up that Noah wasn't going to answer, "I think the nurse is just refilling one of the IV bags; you two can probably go in and see her if you want."

"Ok, we'll be right back," Lily said, shooting a worried glance at Noah before Holden ushered her out of the room.

"She'll be ok, you know," Luke said softly sitting down on the bench next to Noah and slipping an arm around his waist.

"I hope so," Noah said, not very convinced as he put an arm around Luke's shoulders and pulled him closer to him, "I just can't believe it," he said after a few moments of silence, "My-" he cut off and shook his head, "The colonel's alive."

"I know," Luke said, shaking his head, "I can't believe it," he sighed, then turned his head up to look at Noah, "They took him to Statesville. Jack called and told us while you were sleeping. He told us all the charges, but I can't even remember them all."

Noah just shook his head, "I don't want to remember any of it," he muttered, shifting a bit and burying his head in the crook of Luke's neck, "He's not my family. Not anymore. Rose, and you, and your family; you're the only real family I have left. The only family I've ever had."

Luke glanced up as someone appeared in the doorway, "Oh, sorry," Aaron muttered sheepishly.

"No, it's fine," Noah said, sitting up, though he had his back to Aaron for a moment as he wiped his face, then turned around with a forced smile, "Thanks for coming."

Aaron gave him a weak half-smile, "How is she?" he asked, walking in and standing in front of them.

"She's in recovery," Luke said quickly to save Noah the trouble of speaking, "The surgery went fine; no complications or anything."

"That's good," Aaron said with a stiff nod, "Well, I have to go. I'm meeting Ally," Luke shifted uncomfortably at the mention of the girl, but Aaron didn't notice, "Could you just give these to her when she wakes up?" he asked, handing a small bouquet of purple roses to Luke.

"Of course," he said with a slight smile, twirling the small bouquet around in his fingers, his other hand tracing small circles absentmindedly on Noah's back, "Maybe you should go back to sleep," he said softly, looking sideways at Noah, "You still look pretty tired."

"No," Noah replied a little too quickly, and Luke looked at him strangely, "I just, I want to be awake when Rose wakes up," he lied, trying to shake out images from his earlier dream.

"I'll wake you up if she wakes up," Luke said simply, leaning back a raised his eyebrows at him, "No you won't," he said simply, "You wouldn't even let your mom wake me up when she got out of surgery."

Luke just shrugged guiltily, "You look cute when you're sleeping," he said with a light smile: the first real one that had graced this room since they'd arrived.

"And that's why I'm not sleeping again until Rose wakes up," Noah said, allowing a soft smile to play across his lips as he kissed Luke softly on the forehead. He shifted a bit so that Luke was leaning more on his chest and he leaned back against the arm of the bench, his hand stroking Luke's blonde locks as he gazed at the man in his arms. His, now and forever, alive and safe from his father. _And from me._ he thought sourly, yet again pushing away images form his earlier dream, and wondering how long it would be before he could forget about the frightening images.


End file.
